Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Using Teachliveᵀᴹ To Improve Pre-Service Special Education Teacher Practices, April N. Enicks

Dissertations

Currently, there is a body of research available that clearly specifies effective teaching behaviors and quality indicators of a given behavior (Rosenshine, 2012; Danielson, 2007; Stronge, 2007; Rosenshine, 1983; Brophy, 1979). Research is lacking in defining practices that develop effective teaching behaviors in pre-service teachers. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of various forms of instructional modes, settings, and experiences on students’ ability to demonstrate desired effective teaching behaviors. The secondary objective of this study was to determine if on-going self-reflection coupled with various forms of feedback supported students in becoming more effective reflective practitioners. …

The Relationship Between Reading And Mathematics Achievement Of Students With Disabilities And Least Restrictive Environment Practices In Kentucky, Rhonda Kelly Simpson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Kentucky least restrictive environment (LRE) practices and KCCT assessment annual measureable objectives (AMO) in reading and mathematics for students with disabilities. This research was designed to determine whether districts achieved AMO targets for reading, mathematics and LRE. Also, it examined whether a relationship exists between special education students’ placement and assessment scores attained for the with disability subpopulation AYP category.

This quantitative, correlation study utilized data from the Kentucky Department of Education Open House, 2011 No Child Left Behind Adequate Yearly Progress Reports for each school district, and KCCT …

The Effects Of The High-Probability Procedure On Compliance When Paired With Precision Commands, Whitney Teter

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Noncompliance to teacher directions is an issue in nearly every early childhood classroom. It is necessary for young children to comply with directions so that teachers may assess their knowledge and their progress in the curriculum. Three preschool aged children (N = 3) with developmental delays participated in this study. The high probability command procedure was used with two children and was shown to be successful at increasing compliance. The third child did not show an increase in compliance when the high probability command procedure was used, nor did compliance increase when precision commands (escape extinction) were paired with the …

Effects Of Choice Of Reinforcement On The On-­Task Behavior Of Kindergarten Students With Developmental Delays, Karen Binette

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

A high degree of external control is maintained in classrooms serving students with behavioral and developmental disabilities. However, decision making is an important developmental objective related to personal control and dignity. Choice making and discriminating preferred over less preferred outcomes is an important skill that is seldom taught to students with developmental disabilities. Previous research includes studies conducted in clinical settings or with populations with severe disabilities.

Perceptions And Experiences Of Adolescent Students With Disabilities Regarding "Flextime" In A Response To Intervention Model, Julie G. Daye

Theses and Dissertations

Attitudes of Adolescent Students with Disabilities Regarding "Flextime" in a Response to Intervention Model Julie Daye Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education, BYU Educational Specialist in School Psychology One of the stumbling blocks to implementing Response to Intervention (RTI) in a secondary school is finding time for students to receive second level instruction. Evidence of effective implementation of RTI in elementary schools is more prevalent than in secondary schools. There is limited information on how to restructure school time and other resources in order to successfully implement RTI in secondary schools. Evidence is also limited regarding the impact of …

Effectiveness Of Peer Interventions To Develop Appropriate Communication Skills In Children With Autism, Meghan Draper

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine which type of social intervention is more efficient when comparing Peer Video Modeling and Peer Tutoring when attempting to decrease inappropriate social behaviors. Three children were chosen because they each displayed a lack of eye contact, inappropriate verbal responses, or avoidance of a response during free play sessions with their peers in the inclusionary prekindergarten classroom. Baseline data collection was held for a three-day period. A personalized peer modeling video was made for Students A and C. For Students B and C, personalized trained peers were paired. These interventions were implemented with …

Examining Interrater Agreement Analyses Of A Pilot Special Education Observation Tool, Evelyn S. Johnson, Carrie L. Semmelroth

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper reports the results of interrater agreement analyses on a pilot special education teacher evaluation instrument, the Recognizing Effective Special Education Teachers (RESET) Observation Tool (OT). Using evidence-based instructional practices as the basis for the evaluation, the RESET OT is designed for the spectrum of different instructional needs found within special education classrooms. The RESET OT informs what Danielson (2011) maintains are the two features of a teacher evaluation system 1) ensuring teacher quality and 2) promoting professional development. In June 2012, six special education teachers participated in a data coding session using the pilot RESET OT to evaluate …

The Perspectives Of Professionals And Parents On Inclusion In Head Start Programs, Thuy Nguyen, Margaret Hughes

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

This study examined the perspectives of professionals and parents on part-time inclusive preschool Head Start programs that included both children with and without disabilities. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to examine parent and teacher perspectives of inclusion on the developmental outcomes of all children and (b) to investigate their perspectives on what constitutes a high quality inclusive program. Thirty Head Start and Early Childhood Special Education preschool teachers, as well as 30 parents of children with and without disabilities participated in this study. The major findings indicated that both parents and teachers strongly agreed that all children …

Perceptions Of Supportive Leadership Behaviors Of School Site Administrators For Secondary Special Education Teachers, Erin Roderick, Adrian Jung

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

School administrators fall short of supporting special education teachers due to a lack of knowledge of and experience in special education. The purpose of this study was to identify and compare leadership behaviors perceived as supportive by special education teachers and school site administrators. Data collection involved a survey instrument with 52 leadership behaviors from four domains: emotional, instructional, instrumental, and technical. The survey was sent via email to 200 participants who were previously identified as either special education teachers or school site administrators from secondary schools, grades 6-12, and 95 surveys were completed and used for data analysis. The …

The Effectiveness Of Learning Geography Using Computer-Based Games, Jerry Prell, William R. Nelson, John Foshay

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Eighty, seventh grade students attending a suburban middle school in southern Connecticut participated in the study evaluating the effectiveness of computer based geography games on student motivation and achievement. Using Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) Scores and baseline U.S.A scores as criteria to develop matched pairs, students were divided so that the control group played Sheppardsoftware.com’s States Level 3 and the experimental group played States Level 6. According to the data collected, States Level 3 and States Level 6 are significantly effective instructional tools that students enjoyed playing. CMT scores in spatial reasoning did not prove strong predictors of students’ performance …

The Effects Of Fluency Instruction On The Oral Reading Fluency And Comprehension Of First-Grade African American Males With Reading Risk, Lenwood Gibson Jr., Gwendolyn Cartledge

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

This study evaluated the effects of a fluency building activity on the oral reading fluency (ORF) and comprehension of four first grade students identified as at risk for reading failure. The participants in this study were selected because they were members of a group at the highest risk for reading problems, specifically African American boys attending an urban school district. The results of this study demonstrated that the intervention was successful in increasing the ORF of all four participants but results were much more robust for two of the four students. Although ORF increased for all of the participants, gains …

The Effects Of Direct Instruction Flashcards And Rewards With Math Facts At School And In The Home: Acquisition And Maintenance, Zennetta Mann, T.F. Mclaughlin, Randy Lee Williams, K. Mark Derby, Mary Everson

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of Direct Instruction (DI) flashcard procedure, combined with strategies and rewards on multiplication fact accuracy of two elementary school-age students. A single subject replication design across three and four sets of multiplication facts was used to evaluate outcomes. The results indicated improvement in math performance for each participant. Follow-up data indicated maintenance of treatment effects over time. Finally, pre and posttest outcomes found generalization to correct writing of math facts for each participant. The benefits of employing DI flashcards in a resource room or home were discussed.

A Literature Review Of Implementing Response To Intervention For English Language Learners, Eunjeong Choi, Kevin Oh, Sung Moon Yoon, Sunggye Hong

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Response to intervention (RTI) has actively been used for identifying reading difficulties and providing supplemental instructions for students with disabilities. Recent developments of RTI show that the method expands its applicability to other areas and populations. In particular, it is difficult to distinguish learning disability (LD) from English as a second language acquisition. RTI could successfully be implemented for English language learners (ELLs). A systematic literature review has been conducted to delineate various components, strategies, and implications of RTI for ELL students. Twenty six articles that meet the criteria are analyzed for themes and important findings. The result of the …

Allied Forces: The Working Alliance For Meaningful Parenteducator Partnerships In Special Education, Danielle Magaldi-Dopman, Timothy Conway

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Strong parent-educator partnerships in special education yield benefits for parents, teachers and students, however there are often obstacles to the development of these partnerships, and teacher preparation programs and professional development are often deficient in preparing special education teachers for the complexities of this relationship building. In the following, the varied interpretations of parental involvement are explored, followed by a discussion of some of the significant obstacles to strong parent-teacher partnerships in special education classrooms. Authors introduce the working alliance as a solution for framing positive parent-educator relationships. Finally, the three elements of a working alliance are described with an …

Barriers To Full Participation In The Individualized Education Program For Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Parents, Arpi Tamzarian, Holly M. Menzies, Leila Ricci

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) mandates that schools facilitate parent participation in planning the Individual Education Program (IEP). However, culturally and linguistically diverse parents are less likely to feel fully included in the IEP process. In this article we examine three sources of cross-cultural communication difficulties: verbal and non-verbal communication styles, bureaucratic procedures, and cultural assumptions about disability and intervention. We conclude by suggesting schools use an empathetic approach to improve communication in the IEP process.

Examining Interrater Agreement Analyses Of A Pilot Special Education Observation Tool, Evelyn S. Johnson, Carrie L. Semmelroth

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

This paper reports the results of interrater agreement analyses on a pilot special education teacher evaluation instrument, the Recognizing Effective Special Education Teachers (RESET) Observation Tool (OT). Using evidence-based instructional practices as the basis for the evaluation, the RESET OT is designed for the spectrum of different instructional needs found within special education classrooms. The RESET OT informs what Danielson (2011) maintains are the two features of a teacher evaluation system 1) ensuring teacher quality and 2) promoting professional development. In June 2012, six special education teachers participated in a data coding session using the pilot RESET OT to evaluate …

Planned Ignoring, Emily Glass, Cayla Mayes

Applied Behavior Analysis (SPED 432) and Intervention Strategies for Literacy (SPED 431)

The topic of this poster is planned ignoring. The purpose of this poster was to answer the question of how planned ignoring can be used effectively. Planned ignoring is defined as purposely ignoring an individual who is demonstrating an undesirable behavior. When using planned ignoring, the subject should not be told that planned ignoring is being used. Results of eliminated behavior will not always be revealed immediately. The target behavior may potentially escalate before effective results are demonstrated. It is recommended that planned ignoring not be used with all behaviors such as, if an individual is causing harm to himself …

Neural Underpinnings Of Prosody In Autism, Inge-Marie Eigsti, Jillian Schuh, Einar Mencl, Robert T. Schultz, Rhea Paul

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

This study examines the processing of prosodic cues to linguistic structure and to affect, drawing on fMRI and behavioral data from 16 high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and 11 typically developing controls. Stimuli were carefully matched on pitch, intensity, and duration, while varying systematically in conditions of affective prosody (angry versus neutral speech) and grammatical prosody (questions versus statement). To avoid conscious attention to prosody, which normalizes responses in young people with ASD, the implicit comprehension task directed attention to semantic aspects of the stimuli. Results showed that when perceiving prosodic cues, both affective and grammatical, activation of …

A Comparison Study On Teacher-Centered And Inquiry-Based Instruction In Science Education Of Middle School Students With Learning Disabilities: What Is Effective?, Jessica Yorke-Servis

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of the study are to examine the effects of inquiry-based and teacher-centered instruction methods when teaching science for middle school students with learning disabilities. These two instructional methods were provided to 81 students in two middle schools located in southern New Jersey. Of those, 30 students with learning disabilities, 15 in each school participated in the study. Both groups were given a pre and post test prior to and after the three weeks of science instruction to evaluate student performance. In addition, a student and teacher survey was provided to examine their satisfaction. The results show that students …

On Death And Disability: Reframing Educators' Perceptions Of Parental Response To Disability, Keith Allred, Christine Hancock

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This expository article critically reviews the literature from 1950-2010 regarding educators' perceptions of parental response to disability. Pre-service, practitioner, and professional literature are examined to explore the views presented to teacher candidates during the process of professional induction. As this literature relies upon the stage model of grief associated with Kübler-Ross' (1969) description of the acceptance of death, the effects on parent-professional relations and cultural understandings of disability are critiqued. The paper presents an alternative framing of parental response to disability emerging through positive psychology. Recommendations, based upon a disability studies in education perspective, are made regarding changes in the …